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As for the polonaise, that I understand. I guess it's a matter of taste. I love his polonaise. I can't even listen to others' renditions anymore. They're all so overly done with rubato. It spoils the piece.

He doesn't respect the "piano" markings, but instead just plays forte all the way through. Like it works in a live performance, but if you listen to it a few times it gets a bit monotonous.Just FYI, my favourite interpretation of the 4th scherzo is by Richter, who makes it sparkle like nobody else.

Mark_C
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Registered: 11/11/09
Posts: 20004
Loc: New York

Originally Posted By: JoelW

I don't get it.

Good for you -- because it's just stupid.

And what's stupider is that I really think it's not as good as some of the polonaise performances at the amateur Chopin competitions.

And this isn't a first.While I realize that most people would indeed think this is just stupid, and that it's ridiculous to think otherwise, and heck, they could be right .....a couple of years ago, our guy fuzzy8balls posted a recording of himself playing the Op. 22, and another member who thought it needed a lot of improvement posted a couple of recordings of it from the Chopin competition, for him to use as models. I thought fuzzy's was already better, in the sense of being more interesting, more in the feeling of a polonaise, and more distinctive, which for me trumped things like little flaws here and there.

And what's stupider is that I really think it's not as good as some of the polonaise performances at the amateur Chopin competitions.

And this isn't a first.While I realize that most people would indeed think this is just stupid, and that it's ridiculous to think otherwise, and heck, they could be right .....a couple of years ago, our guy fuzzy8balls posted a recording of himself playing the Op. 22, and another member who thought it needed a lot of improvement posted a couple of recordings of it from the Chopin competition, for him to use as models. I thought fuzzy's was already better, in the sense of being more interesting, more in the feeling of a polonaise, and more distinctive, which for me trumped things like little flaws here and there.

Joel, thanks for sharing that performance. I don't feel as strongly as Mark_C, perhaps because I see that moment as being one of several weird moments! Bunin's playing comes across as full of warmth and heart, with plenty of sensitivity along with some choices that strike me as weird. I like that he *really* has the technique to do what he wants with the piece, and I think there are relatively few pianists who could claim that. He also mostly produces a large tone without banging unpleasantly.

Onto the weird bits... in several places Bunin opts for a detached sound where Chopin (and the music itself I feel) call for more fluidity. For example, right at measure 9 there is Ped. marked with the low staccato B, but Bunin plays without pedal there, and at every similar place throughout the piece. He fairly bounces off measure 151 (the D sharps in the treble that are written as lasting for six beats with ten. for good measure!!!) - pretty radical changes. I'm sure he had his reasons, but... hmmm. I also don't think he integrates some of the later details well, for example, the octaves from measure 614 sound more like a new idea interrupting another rather than organic impetuosity. And measures 752? He almost seems to get quieter at the end, rather than the ingenious 'crescendo within a chord' effect. I do like the performance as a whole though, honestly.

P.S. Is it just me, or does anyone else see measure 28 and similar as having written-out grace notes, 'enforced' in this case as occurring on the beat? I would play the initial quarter note slightly quicker than its strict metronomic value, to give the grace note feel.